Naosuke tsubakimoto



1966 NAOSUKE' TSUBAKIMOTO 3,289,038

COUNTING DEVICES USING 'NUMERAL"INDICATING DISCHARGE TUBES Filed Feb. 20, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Nov. 29, 1966 NAOSUKE TSUBAKIMOTO 3,

COUNTING DEVICES USING NUMERAL- INDICATING DISCHARGE TUBES Filed Feb. 20, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYb N 1966 NAOSUKE TSUBAKIMOTO 3,

COUNTING DEVICES USING NUMERAL'INDICATING DISCHARGE TUBES Filed Feb. 20, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Vb/ p 7'0 7/76 h/glzer sfage ATTORNEYS;

Nov. 29, 1966 NAOSUKE TSUBAKIMOTO 3,289,038

COUNTING DEVICES USING NUMERALINDICATING DISCHARGE TUBES Filed Feb. 20, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 7?? The h/gha" sfage i 77 re 2775 P ATTORNEY5 United States Patent 'ice 3,289,038 COUNTING DEVICES USING NUMERAL- INDICATING DISCHARGE TUBES Naosuke Tsnbakimoto, Osaka, Japan, assignor to Matsnshita Electronics Corporation, Osaka, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Feb. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 346,300 Claims priority, application Japan, Feb. 25, 1963, 38/ 9,499 7 Claims. (Cl. 315--84.6)

This invention relates to counting devices, and more particularly to those using numeral-indicating discharge tubes which give luminous indication of numbers.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a counting device for counting the number of incoming electrical pulses and visibly indicate the same by glow discharges of numeral-shaped cold cathodes of a discharge tube, in which none of the numeral-indicating cathodes is luminant during the time interval from the instant of its resetting to the arrival of the first electrical pulse, thereby obtaining a clear indication of the number.

There are other objects and particularities of the present invention, which will be made obvious from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a typical embodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show three modifications of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, respectively.

In conventional counting devices using numeral-indicating discharge tubes, in general, during the time interval from the instant of resetting of the discharge tube to the arrival of the first electrical pulse fo. next numeral indication, the discharge tube is in operation to indicate 0, waiting for the arrival of the above-mentioned first pulse. Consequently, during the above-mentioned time interval, all the numeral-indicating cathodes except 0-indicating one are subject to contamination by vaporized substances from the 0-indicating luminant cold cathode, and when they become luminant by arrival of respective pulses, it is difficult to obtain a clear luminant indication of the respective digits. Such a defect is especially detrimental in counting devices for dealing with multi-digit numbers.

The present invention primarily contemplates the elimination of the above-mentioned defect, and will be described in detail, taking embodiments for ternary-number indication as an example, but it will be obvious that the invention is applicable also to binary, decimal, and other number indication.

It should also be noted that, although triodes are employed as the elements serving for amplification or switching in the illustrated embodiments, other multi-electrode tubes, transistors, and equivalents may also be used therefor.

Referring to FIG. 1, the counting device comprises triodes V V V and V with their cathodes connected to ground. Their grids are connected to a common input terminal P through condensers C C C and C respectively, and also to a common negative bias source V through resistors R R R and R respectively. With respect to the triode V only, there is provided a reset switch S connected between resistor R and negative bias source V The anode of the triodes are connected to a common positive electrical source +V through load resistors R R R and R respectively. The anode of triode V is also connected to the grids of triodes V V and V through resistors R R and R respectively, and the resistor R only is parallelconnected with a condenser C The anode of triode V is also connected to the grids of triodes V V and V through resistors R R and R respectively, and the resistor R only is shunted by a condenser C Patented Nov. 29, 1966 Similarly, the anode of triode V is connected to the grids of triodes V V and V through resistors R R and R respectively, and the resistor R is shunted by a condenser C while the anode of triode V is connected to the grids of triodes V V and V through resistors R R and R respectively, and the resistor R is shunted by a condenser C The anodes of triodes V V and V are connected to cold cathodes T T and T respectively, of a numeral-indicating discharge tube T, through a matrix circuit M. The discharge tube T is provided with a common anode electrode T which is connected to a positive electrical source +V through a resistor R.

The counting device is resetted by operating the reset switch S in the order of close-open-close, whereupon triode V only is rendered conductive, while remaining three triodes V V and V are rendered non-conductive, thus ready for reception of incoming pulses. At this instant, the discharge tube T is not yet in operation.

When the first of successive negative trigger pulses has arrived at the input terminal P, negative potentials are applied to the grids of triodes V V V and V through condensers C C C and C respectively, whereupon triode V is rendered non-conductive, and its anode potential rises abruptly, resulting in rises of grid potentials of triodes V V and V through resistors R R and R respectively. In this case, however, triode V only has its grid resistance R shunted by condenser C so that the triode V is rendered conductive prior to the remaining triodes which remain non-conductive. When triode V becomes conductive, its anode potential drops and acts through the matrix circuit M to lower the potential of cold cathode T of discharge tube T. Whereupon, the tube T operates to give luminous indication of digit 1.

\Vhen the second negative trigger pulse has arrived at the input terminal P, similar operation takes place to transfer the conduction of triode V to conduction of triode V because the anode of V and the grid of V are connected with the condenser C in parallel with the resistor R and the numeral-indicating discharge tube T changes its visible indication from 1 to 2. Similarly, upon arrival of the third pulse, the conduction is transferred from triode V to triode V because the anode of V and the grid of V are connected with the condenser C in parallel with the resistor R and the numeral-indicating discharge tube T gives luminous indication of O for the first time. From the fourth pulse, the conduction circulates from V to V and then to V and returns to V and the same operation repeats, and only when the reset switch S is operated in the order of close-open-close does the triode V conduct.

On the other hand, the drop in the anode potential of triode V sends a new negative pulse to another counting device, not shown, provided for digits one place higher, and the latter begins to operate for the first time.

According to the present invention, during the time interval from the instant of resetting to arrival of the first pulse, the numeral-indicating discharge tube T does not give luminous indication of 0, so that it might be difiicult to confirm whether or not the counting device is operating in the satisfactory manner. In case when such a confirmation is required, a neon lamp L and its protective resistor in series therewith may be provided as shown by dotted line in FIG. 1, and the proper operation of the counting device can be confirmed by the light of neon lamp L.

In the modification shown in FIG. 2, the reset switch S is disposed between the cathodes of triodes V V and V and the ground, and the grid of triode V is connected to the negative bias source -V through the resistor R Otherwise, the arrangement is same as in FIG. 1. In this case also, the switch S may be operated in the order of close-open-close for resetting the device, to render triodes V V and V non-conductive and triode V only conductive, as in the case of FIG. 1.

In the modification shown in FIG. 3, a relay coil R is connected in the anode circuit of tri-ode V With its contact point S inserted in the anode circuit of numeral-id dicating discharge tube T. In this case, during the time interval from the resetting to arrival of the first incoming pulse, during which the triode V is reversed from conductive to nonconductive, the relay contact point S is held open by the anode current of triode V whereby the discharge tube T is further assured to be inoperative.

In the modification shown in FIG. 4, the relay coil R is connected between the load resistors R R and R and the positive electrical source +V and shunted by a condensor. Its contact point S is inserted in the anode circuit of numeral-indicating discharge tube T as in FIG. 3. In this case, during the time interval when the t-riode V is non-conductive, any of the remaining triodes V V and V being conductive, the ope-rating current of the conductive triode holds the contact point S closed for obtaining the result same as in FIG. 3.

As will be understood from the about description, according to the present invention, the conventional ring counter comprising required number of triodes or equivalent elements for amplification or switching, in order to control the respective cold cathode potential relative to the anode of the numeral-indicating discharge tube, is additionally provided with another circuit of amplifying or switching element, whereby the numeral-indicating discharge tube is held inoperative during the time interval from the instant of resetting to arrival of the first incoming pulse. Consequently, the cold cathodes other than that for 0 indication are never contaminated by vaporized substances from the 0-indicating cold cathode which is always luminant in the conventional device. In addition, consumption of electrical power is saved, wrong indication is eliminated, and the useful life of the device is prolonged.

In practice, a plurality of counting devices embodying the present invention are required corresponding to the number of places of the number to be counted and indicated, but it is preferred to employ a conventional counting device for the lowest place and those according to the present invention for the higher places.

What is claimed is:

1. A counting device comprising a ring counter having a plurality of sequentially arranged counting elements for counting the number of incoming pulses, each of said counting elements having a control electrode and two output electrodes, a numeral indicating discharge tube having a plate and a plurality of numeral shaped cold cathodes opposed to the plate, matrix circuit means operatively connecting one of said output electrodes of each said counting element to respective cathodes of said discharge tube, the other output electrode of each said counting element being connected to a common ground, a bias voltage and an incoming pulse receiving terminal each connected to the control electrode of each said counting element, first means connecting an output electrode of the first counting element to the control electrodes of each subsequent counting element, a condenser interconnecting the control electrode of a third counting element with said first counting element output, second means including a condenser connecting an output electrode of a last counting element to the control electrode of a second counting element, said first and second means forming circuit means for rendering said discharge tube inoperative only during the time interval from the instant of resetting of the device to the arrival of the first of successive incoming pulses.

2. A counting device according to claim 1 wherein said elements are triode vacuum tubes.

3. The counting device according to claim 1 wherein said elements are transistors.

4. A counting device according to claim 1 wherein a reset switch is provided in said first-stage element.

5. A counting device according to claim 1 wherein a neon lamp is provided in the output terminal of said first element for indicating conduction of said first stage element.

6. A counting device according to claim 1 wherein a relay is provided in a circuit applying power to said firststage element to control the plate circuit of said discharge tube by said relay.

7. A counting device according to claim 1 wherein a relay is provided in a circuit supplying power to the elements from the second stage onwards to control the plate circuit of said discharge tube with the relay.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,690,302 9/1951 Nolde 315845 2,896,119 7/ 1959 Milan-Kamski 315--84.6 2,927,246 3/ 1960 Read 3 l5-84.6 3,017,620 1/ 1962 Abzug 31.5-84.5 X 3,064,160 11/1962 Glaser et a1 315- 84.6 3,078,417 2/1963 Nick 31584.6

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,231,783 4/ 1960 France.

OTHER REFERENCES Greiner, R. A.: Semiconductor Devices and Applications, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1961, pages 399-402.

JOHN W. HUCKERT, Primary Examiner. KRA T. Assistant x i er. 

1. A COUNTING DEVICE COMPRISING A RING COUNTER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SEQUENTIALLY ARRANGED COUNTING ELEMENTS FOR COUNTING THE NUMBER OF INCOMING PULSES, EACH OF SAID COUNTING ELEMENTS HAVING A CONTROL ELECTRODES AND TWO OUTPUT ELECTRODES, A NUMERAL INDICATING DISCHARGE TUBE HAVING A PLATE AND A PLURALITY OF NUMERAL SHAPED COLD CATHODES OPPOSED TO THE PLATE, MATRIX CIRCUIT MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING ONE OF SAID OUTPUT ELECTRODES OF EACH SAID COUNTING ELEMENT TO RESPECTIVE CATHODES OF SAID DISCHARGE TUBE, THE OTHER OUTPUT ELECTRODE OF EACH SAID COUNTING ELEMENT BEING CONNECTED TO A COMMON GROUND, A BIAS VOLTAGE AND AN INCOMING PULSE RECEIVING TERMINAL EACH CONNECTED TO THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF EACH SAID COUNTING ELEMENT, FIRST MEANS CONNECTING AN OUTPUT ELECTRODE OF THE FIRST COUNTING ELEMENT TO THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF EACH SUBSEQUENT COUNTING ELEMENT, A CONDENSER INTERCONNECTING THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF A THIRD COUNTING ELEMENT WITH SAID FIRST COUNTING ELEMENT OUTPUT, SECOND MEANS INCLUDING A CONDENSER CONNECTING AN OUTPUT ELECTRODE OF A LAST COUNTING ELEMENT TO THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF A SECOND COUNTING ELEMENT, SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEANS FORMING CIRCUIT MEANS FOR RENDERING SAID DISCHARGE TUBE INOPERATIVE ONLY DURING THE TIME INTERVAL FROM THE INSTANT OF RESETTING OF THE DEVICE TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST OF SUCCESSIVE INCOMING PULSES. 